I'm just good enough to stay off everyone's shit list, while not quite the over achiever type that brings you extra work and projects because you're on the superstar list.

I'm just your typical hard hat and lunch pail guy that will give you maximum moderate effort every day between the hours of 8am and 4:30pm. Overtime is for suckers, I'm salary bitch I'm not giving you one extra second of my time.

A-****ing-men. My wife and I always talk about how we should feel guilty that we are often idle at our jobs. It's because we do them quickly, do them well and are out the ****ing door at 4:30.

You are damn right. We're not going to make extra work. Overtime is for suckers.

__________________Regret nothing. At one time it was exactly what you wanted.

My job involves financial, strategic, and business analysis so it's my job to find/evaluate opportunities and give the executives what they need to make a decision that makes more money. That stuff is a regular day at the office for me, but I identified one tiny one that felt like so much more. This insurer who shall remain nameless was underpaying us for a certain service. I noticed and worked through the channels to call them on it. They responded, I got on the phone with their guy and he was a serious asshole. He insisted the glitch was on our end, that we weren't coding claims properly, and yelled at me that I don't even know our own billing practices. Well I spent the better part of a Saturday morning compiling data proving that we were billing them for it.

They wound up paying us what they owed, about 80,000 bucks in all. A pittance for our business, it's an amount we'd barely even worry about. But that conference call felt REAL good, taking that same asshole through all the ways I was right, and all the ways he was wrong.

A-****ing-men. My wife and I always talk about how we should feel guilty that we are often idle at our jobs. It's because we do them quickly, do them well and are out the ****ing door at 4:30.

You are damn right. We're not going to make extra work. Overtime is for suckers.

Well, I'm certainly not a workaholic. I preach to my staff all the time that balance is important and that we make a big effort to get out by 5:00. But if you're idle during your 40 hours, the manager in me says you're not balanced, your scale leans too far to the side of not doing enough.

Now some of that is on your manager, he's clearly not filling up your day enough. But if you're not going to him and saying 'hey, I'm done my shit, you want me to do anything else?' then you're really never giving him a reason to promote you.

Maybe you're cool with that, and if that's the case more power to ya. But I like money. My balance is struck by busting my ass to do as much as I can during 8 - 5:30 - even if more than my job description requires. Then from then on it's family time. It's a work hard play hard mentality. If I'm at work I'm 100% engaged in the cause, and at home I'm 100% engaged in fun and leisure and time spent with family.

By the way I should also say that I have a staff member who does her job really well but does not want to take on more work. I value her and wouldn't want to lose her. At the same time, I won't promote her. Which works out great for her and great for me, she likes her job, is content with her salary, and I know I'll get the fair amount of quality work out of her. The promotions will go to the ones who go out of their way to make my job easier. But she's still valued, and she's extremely happy.

I did the climb the ladder thing. Got promoted after only being with the company for 4 years which is pretty unheard of. Stuck with it for over a year before I asked for my old job back. For me it was just wasn't worth it. All the extra hours and pressure, babysitting your staff, taking all the heat for your people when they didn't get their shit done, etc. So I got my old job back and got to keep my manager's pay. Not a bad deal.

Well, I'm certainly not a workaholic. I preach to my staff all the time that balance is important and that we make a big effort to get out by 5:00. But if you're idle during your 40 hours, the manager in me says you're not balanced, your scale leans too far to the side of not doing enough.

Now some of that is on your manager, he's clearly not filling up your day enough. But if you're not going to him and saying 'hey, I'm done my shit, you want me to do anything else?' then you're really never giving him a reason to promote you.

Maybe you're cool with that, and if that's the case more power to ya. But I like money. My balance is struck by busting my ass to do as much as I can during 8 - 5:30 - even if more than my job description requires. Then from then on it's family time. It's a work hard play hard mentality. If I'm at work I'm 100% engaged in the cause, and at home I'm 100% engaged in fun and leisure and time spent with family.

Well, I was promoted to Director of Technology at the Law School here after doing just support stuff for a while. My first year here was spent getting the customer service up to snuff and making us totally PC and Mac compatible (I hate Macs, but half the student population had them). Maybe IT is different, but a lot of times I feel like it's a testament to the staff on how quiet we are. My staff is good at communication and keeps me in the loop of what's going on. I still make sure I do support because I'd go nuts if I couldn't help people fix stuff in my new job.

Now, do I answer emails until I go to bed? Most definitely. I never let someone wait to get an answer. But when it comes to 4:30, I'm out the door. If there's an emergency, sure, I'll come back in. With the exception of just keeping abreast of new technology, this job is really hard to "make work".

__________________Regret nothing. At one time it was exactly what you wanted.

I did the climb the ladder thing. Got promoted after only being with the company for 4 years which is pretty unheard of. Stuck with it for over a year before I asked for my old job back. For me it was just wasn't worth it. All the extra hours and pressure, babysitting your staff, taking all the heat for your people when they didn't get their shit done, etc. So I got my old job back and got to keep my manager's pay. Not a bad deal.

Perfect!

I am big on less responsibility and more money.

One of my big pet peeves at work are the go get her's. Oh lord really? they are so annoying. "I got here at 6 and stayed until 8". Wow proud of you.

"I am manager of XYZ department". Great enjoy the babysitting.

Too me give me a well paying job with low stress. I will still work hard for you but I am not wasting my days in a office environment trying to be the "best".

My dad is a straight up workaholic has a massed large amounts of wealth doing it. IT came at the price of my sister and I not knowing him that well growing up. He is retired now and we do a lot with him now and he realizes to a degree that all those accomplishment really don't mean much now.

You might be the Bee's Knee's right now at XYZ busting your ass but someday you will move on and they will forget you. Put you and your family first in what ever you do; if you do a good job with them they will never forgot you.

Another gear wrench of mine is folks that think they are bad ass because of their job title. You have seen them at parties "oh hold on important work call got take it." Please get over yourself I have meet more interesting fry guys then corp big wigs in my lifetime.

One more; sorry; how much is enough? At what point do you have to keep killing yourself for more material things. "I will not stop until this home is covered in granite from floor to ceiling!"

__________________When life gives you paper jams, turn them into paper footballs!

You're losing the spirit here. Seriously, whether they are work related or not, what are the accomplishments that may (or may not) go unnoticed by others but have made you damn proud of yourself? It's not supposed to be about who works hard, what choices we have made in life or who is the most competent (that would be me anyway) - it's supposed to be about those little accomplishments in life that make you say to yourself "F*** yeah! I just kicked ass." Share the joy folks, share the joy!

Everybody is different, and has different accomplishments that make them feel like, just for one shining moment, they are the most talented so and so at something. Here is the place to brag, boast and do the touchdown dance you so desparately want to do. Keep it happy folks.

__________________You aren't worth the water in my spit but, maybe, just maybe, you're worth the lead in my shotgun.

I became director of an academic unit at a major university at the age of 33, my wife did the same at the age of 31. We are both very proud of that. I hope in two or so years I can post here when I get my Ph.D. in Education Policy.

You're losing the spirit here. Seriously, whether they are work related or not, what are the accomplishments that may (or may not) go unnoticed by others but have made you damn proud of yourself? It's not supposed to be about who works hard, what choices we have made in life or who is the most competent (that would be me anyway) - it's supposed to be about those little accomplishments in life that make you say to yourself "F*** yeah! I just kicked ass." Share the joy folks, share the joy!

Everybody is different, and has different accomplishments that make them feel like, just for one shining moment, they are the most talented so and so at something. Here is the place to brag, boast and do the touchdown dance you so desparately want to do. Keep it happy folks.

Gotcha!

This know it all in my office bought a new family car last night and was bragging about it this morning. IT was a 2010 Jeep 4 door.

Then at lunch time I stopped at Safeway and bought a bag of chips and some dip. Got back and put out the chips, dip and placed the print article by them on the office snack table. Emailed everyone "Chips and Dips to help us through a boring Friday afternoon". Like dogs they all went for it.

Folks started leafing through the article and were like "Heidi your new car is listed as one of the most dangerous ones out there." She had a oh shit look on her face and ran back to her cube to call her husband.

Good times. I had a big smile on my face afterwards as I ate my chips and dip.

__________________When life gives you paper jams, turn them into paper footballs!

I became director of an academic unit at a major university at the age of 33, my wife did the same at the age of 31. We are both very proud of that. I hope in two or so years I can post here when I get my Ph.D. in Education Policy.